


Prism

by Bazylia_de_Grean



Series: Rare Talent and Intellect [8]
Category: Pillars of Eternity
Genre: Ambiguous Relationships, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-07
Updated: 2018-02-07
Packaged: 2019-03-14 17:31:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,539
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13594932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bazylia_de_Grean/pseuds/Bazylia_de_Grean
Summary: Something gleams in the torchlight, and Eydis immediately turns, expecting a trap. All she finds is a simple adra pendant lying at the foot of the altar, among crumbled scrolls, as if someone dropped it and left it here by accident.Eydis smiles mockingly, recognizing the trinket. Ah, so it is a trap after all.





	Prism

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Filigranka](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Filigranka/gifts).



> (Kudos to Miya for beta-reading! All remaining mistakes are my own.)

It is highly unlikely that the Leaden Key would attempt to establish a base of operations in the ruined temple in the central district of the city... But even if it was merely a rumour, that possibility is too much of a threat to dismiss it. Besides, as a cipher she knows all too well that sometimes it is easiest to hide in plain sight, because no one would expect it. During her short stay with the Key, though, she learned one thing: it is near impossible to predict what they will do next.

Eydis decides it will be wiser to investigate, even if it was a trap. She is the most powerful cipher in the city, and thus not an easy prey. And she has no intention of going alone.

The duc has not allowed her to establish a proper school for ciphers yet, afraid that she would perhaps use it for more than just teaching – a justified suspicion, she has to give him that – but no one can forbid her from giving private lessons to people who can afford them. And no one can say she should cease funding the orphanage in Ondra’s Gift – ciphers are useful, but she has never underestimated the power of observation and good old eavesdropping – something, as it turns out, that even the Leaden Key is not immune to.

As long as she does not openly disobey the duc, no one can command her to do anything; she is married to a noble lord, and has the blood of Hadrets in her veins – and her distant cousin Admeth and his father are still praised in Dyrwood as heroes.

Eydis summons one of her students – an aumaua merchant’s son – for what she calls a field lesson. She also takes Tesni, an orlan girl officially living in her house as a servant, but in truth being her apprentice as well.

Her husband does not ask; he trusts her to be reasonable, and to only get into as much trouble as she can deal with. That is one of many things she respects him for.

“Just be careful,” he says, as he always does, eyes crinkling at the corners as he smiles at her. It is not that he thinks she needs such a reminder; it is simply his way of showing that he cares.

Eydis summons her most charming smile. “Oh, you know me.”

Aldus shakes his head, chuckling. “That’s why I worry.”

She kisses him on the cheek, he kisses her hand; their usual routine. There are no reasons to make a spectacle of it every time she leaves.

Tesni is waiting at the door, pretending that she has not seen or heard a thing... for about a breath or two. “Do you ever kiss?” she asks, with all the curiosity of an adolescent girl.

Eydis looks down at her, narrowing her eyes. “This, young lady, is none of your business. Now come. It will be a long afternoon.”

* * *

 

Just as she expected, the temple is empty. There are faint traces of someone’s presence, lingering over the stones, but this does not feel like soulprints of a living person. For a moment, Eydis regrets not being a Watcher; talking to spirits would make things so much easier, especially if they met some more Key agents they would have to kill before getting any information from them.

There is also something... familiar. Not a presence; something so subtle even she can barely notice it. Like a reflection of light on a small shard of glass, at the end of a very long tunnel of mirrors; impossible to tell where it came from.

Tesni sniffs and perks her ears, as if she was following a scent rather than tracing soul essence. “Someone passed through here recently.”

Eydis nods. Someone and... something?

“Tesni, stay here. If we don’t come back at dusk, run home.” She motions at Tama. “Come on.”

“Not fair!” the orlan protest fiercely, but quietly.

“Sad as it is, people and awful things hiding underground are often more afraid of a tall bulky man with a sword and a dagger than of a little girl, no matter how strong her mind is.”

Tesni purses her lips, but there is no sense in arguing and she knows it.

Eydis smiles at her. “Next time, little spark. And if we find something, we’ll return tomorrow and you’ll go in there, too.”

As the orlan hides in the bushes – an advantage of having a guard who barely reaches past a human’s waist – Eydis finds a hidden lever and opens the underground passage. There is some odd pride in the thought that now, after the priests were killed in the War of Defiance, she might be one of only two people in the city who know how to use this door.

* * *

 

There is no one here; even Tama can sense it as soon as they go down. Just traces of that familiar... something.

Eydis leads the way through the dark tunnels, wishing she left him at the door as well. There are memories in these underground chambers she would rather face alone. Truth be told, sometimes she would like to forget them altogether, but it is not so easy; a near-perfect memory is the bane of many ciphers.

More than that; there are memories which she is still not able to part with. She is respected now, and she knows how competent she is, but there was a time when she felt as if she shone, as if she was a polished piece of adra...

Something gleams in the torchlight, and Eydis immediately turns, expecting a trap. All she finds is a simple adra pendant lying at the foot of the altar, among crumbled scrolls, as if someone dropped it and left it here by accident.

Eydis smiles mockingly, recognizing the trinket. Ah, so it is a trap after all.

* * *

 

She stretches lazily, feeling cosy and warm and very satisfied, then carefully turns to her side. Thaos is still asleep, and she smiles at seeing that he finally trusts her that much. Well, it is not like she can peek into his mind, anyway. Not yet.

For a moment, Eydis leans against the pillows and just lets herself enjoy the sight. He is not exactly handsome, but there is something intriguing in his face. Her gaze slides over his sharp features, mapping each detail. The slight trembling of his lashes as his eyes move under closed eyelids; the curve of his mouth, as if he was dreaming of something peaceful. She treasures the sight all the more because no one else sees him like this.

Quietly, stealthily, she slips out of the bed and tiptoes over to the chair where he left his robe last evening. She does not expect to find anything useful, but she is hoping for some curiosities, at least. But there is only his amulet, half-hidden in the folds of the fabric: a simple adra stone, the clearest one she has ever seen. Slowly, glancing at Thaos over her shoulder, she touches the amulet.

Unlike any other adra – save for the dead pieces – this one does not contain any impressions. There is a familiar aura she recognizes simply as Thaos’, but nothing more; no glimpses, no images, no sensations. The stone is empty, as if someone cleaned it, methodically wiping away any traces.

“You won’t find anything in there.”

Eydis smiles, puts the amulet around her neck and turns slowly, clad in nothing but that single adra stone. Ah, she is aware that her mind excites him much more than her body, but she also knows very well that she could put most paintings and sculptures to shame, and that he will appreciate it on the aesthetical level, at least.

“I’d be very disappointed in your intellect if I did,” she replies.

Thaos laughs quietly. “I’d be very disappointed in yours if you thought otherwise.”

She walks over to the bed, rests one knee on the mattress, and then lies down as gracefully as she can. He is amused by her efforts, but his eyes follow her movements all the same. Then she bursts into laughter and just leans against him.

“So...” She takes the gold chain between her fingers and lifts the stone until it dangles in front of her face. “What is it?”

“A prism.” Thaos holds out his hand expectantly, his eyebrows arching. “Isn’t it rude when you take someone’s property without their permission?”

Eydis grins. “Only if you get caught.”

He moves towards her, and in a moment she is on her back, and Thaos is pinning her hand to the pillows just above her head. “As I said,” he continues with a scholarly air, as if he cared nothing for how close they are, how their bodies are pressed together. “It is very impolite.”

She looks up at him, feigning innocence, and shifts slightly under him in a way that is all but innocent. “But bold, no?”

Thaos shakes his head, and then leans in to kiss her. “Here,” he says as he moves away, “for your boldness.”

Eydis sighs and takes the pendant off. “Very compelling argument, that.” She waits until Thaos puts the amulet around his neck and pulls him in for another kiss, gently pushing him back until he is lying on the mattress, and when they part, she leans her crossed arms on his chest, resting her head atop them.

“So, what is it for?” she asks. “Charisma? Don’t tell me you seduced me using magic trinkets.”

He smiles at her teasingly. “Weren’t you the one who seduced me? Isn’t that how you like to tell it?”

“Of course. How would I get my confidence to wake up every morning otherwise?” she replies merrily.

Thaos does not laugh, but a corner of his lips curls upwards. He settles more comfortably on the pillows, and puts his arm around her waist loosely. “It can be used for many things. Well, could be; it needs to be charged, and I fear the technology is lost to us.”

“Another Engwithan atrifact?” Her eyes widen. “Where on Eora do you get those?” She tilts her head to the side to look at him. “Or do you have some bold Glanfathan girls who do it for you?”

“I have the friendship and respect of the anamfath of the Keepers of the Stone,” he explains. “But no, no bold girls outside of Defiance Bay,” he adds with a smile. “No women at all outside of this very bed.”

Eydis shakes her head, even as she feels warmth spreading across her body at this confession. “How very... polite of you,” she replies, turning it into a jest, even though she guesses he will not be fooled.

Thaos’ gaze softens a little as he brushes his fingertips up her cheek. He kisses her as if he had not kissed a woman in years, as if she was the first woman in his life worth attention, and she lets herself drown in it: the warmth of his skin, the heat of his mouth, the taste of him, the smell of incense on his hair, the way he is gently cupping the side of her head. When he pulls away, their eyes meet, and Eydis thinks that maybe this is the most intimate act of all; not the kisses, not the lovemaking, but this – looking at the other person and knowing that they understand.

* * *

 

She picks the amulet off the floor and weighs it in her palm. The adra is the same colour as his eyes, and in the dim light it is equally dark and just as deep. Very impolite, she thinks, and bites back a laugh.

“What is it?” Tama looks at the pendant suspiciously.

“Just a worthless trinket.” Eydis puts it into the small leather bag at her belt. “But it tells us a few important things. The Key has been here. And they might have left using another passageway.” She straightens. “We’ll check the catacombs tomorrow.”

“I can go today. I’ll take Tesni and...”

“And what would I tell your father if anything happened to you, young man?” she asks sternly. Foolish kids, always the same. Always ready to rush headlong into trouble. “We’ll return tomorrow. They wouldn’t have left anything they thought could be useful to us.”

“So we’ll be just looking for traces?”

“Not just for traces. Wording, boy. Remember; always pay attention to the wording.”

“Ah!” Slowly, Tama nods. “But they might have left something they thought useless.”

“Exactly.” Again, she leads the way through the dark. “By the way, what connections does your father have exactly?”

“Some… Deadfire merchants,” Tama replies cautiously, with a grin. It is clear he means pirates.

“Because I thought it might be interesting to get some trolls in here, just in case our friends from the Key return.”

Tama snorts and presses a hand against his mouth, trying to smother the laughter. “Would that stop them, though?”

“Doubtful. But it might make them drop something. A dead body, for instance. And bodies that drop dead suddenly tend to have some clues on them.”

“You really want to get back at them.”

“Them?” Eydis shrugs. “I don’t care for them. Their leader, though, is another matter altogether.”

“But it would be stupid of him to return when you’re expecting him, wouldn’t it? And who knows where he might be. Eora is a big place.”

She is walking ahead of him, and maybe it is best that Tama cannot see her smile. He still has plenty of time to understand those things, as all her children do. Who knows, maybe some will even never have to understand that at all.

“Trust me,” she says grimly, and yet amused despite herself. “He’s never far.”

* * *

 

Aldus is mildly interested in her discovery. That is: he is curious, but knows better than to ask; she will tell him everything he can learn, but all in good time. Patience is one of his many virtues.

“Good craftsmanship,” he assesses, looking at the stone. “Engwithan?” He puts the amulet back onto her hand. “I’d say it’s a very expensive trinket to leave behind.”

“You could say it’s priceless. And therefore worthless, for no one would buy it.”

“Well, hopefully it will lead you to something.” He looks at her with quiet pride; he admires her talent and openly admits it. “Those things always do.”

“It already has,” Eydis answers, turning towards her desk to avoid her husband’s gaze.

He respects her and cares for her, and in return she gives him the same, and she really is quite content with their marriage. But suddenly it strikes her than even though they have had many moments of tenderness and passion, they have never been truly intimate. Not like that; not like...

With a sigh, she opens the secret drawer in her desk and puts the amulet inside, next to a silver mask, two burnt scrolls, a few beads that used to be a white adra bracelet, and a small adra mirror.

She took the bait. But she did not get caught in Thaos’ trap. All the traps she has ever got caught in always were of her own making.


End file.
